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2 Sheets-'-Sheet1. E. A. BERBSPORD. Step or Platform Register. No.239,641. Patented Apr-H5, I881.

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E. A. BERESPORD. Step or Platform Register. No. 239,641 Patented April5,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' EDWARD A. BERESFORD, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

STEP OR PLATFORM REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 239,641, dated April 5,1881.

Application filed November 12, 1879. Patented in Great Britain March 17,1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ADEN FORD, of London, in the county ofMiddlesex, Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented a 5 new andusefulImprovement in Fare-Registering Apparatus, which is fully set forth anddescribed in the following specification.

This invention has forits object an improved machine or apparatus forregistering or check- [0 ing the returns of fares made by the conductors or other officials in charge of omnibuses,

tramway-cars, or other vehicles used in (30111- mon by the public, forthe benefit of those entitled to such fares, and showing such personsFor this purpose I apply to the vehicle a pendulous or pivoted lever,which Iconnect with appliances in connection with movable or hingedsteps, such appliances being so contrived that whenever a person ascendsor descends the steps to enter or to leave the vehicle motion isimparted to the pendulous or pivoted lever; but this motion takes placein diti'erent direct-ions, according as the lower tread of the steps isfirst 2 5 depressed, and then the upper, as in ascending to enter thevehicle; or, on the contrary, as in descending to leave the vehicle, thedepression of the upper tread takes place prior to that of the lower.The pendulous or piv- 0 oted lever actuates recording wheels orinstruments which keep separate registers of the movements in eitherdirection, or, in other words, of the number of persons entering andleaving the vehicle.

5 The mechanismisillustrated by the annexed drawings, Sheets land II,like letters indicating like parts.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. to is the lower, and b the upper, oftwo fixed steps, corresponding to those ordinarily titted to omnibusesand like vehicles. To each of these steps there is hinged a movablestep. These latter are on the drawings marked cand d, respectively, andthe hinges e. The mova- 5 ble steps are, when no weight is upon them,supported in raised positions, in which they are represented in thedrawings by springs f f. Upon the steps a and b the incline blocks(marked respectively g and h) are fixed, and the movable steps carryupon their under sides bolts which are capable of sliding in guides indirections to and from the hinges a 0. These bolts have inclineblocks(marked respectively i and is) formed upon them, and they areprovided with springs l, which, in the case of the bolt on the lowerstep, tends to draw it outward or away from the hinge at 0, while in thecase of the bolt upon the upper step its springl tends to draw itinwardor toward the hinge c,

by which this step is connected with the fixed step I). The lower bolt,carrying the incline t,

is connected,hy the link m, with the pendulous or pivoted lever a,and'the boltupon the upper step, carrying, the incline 7c, is similarlyconnected with the pendulous or pivoted lever by a link, 0. These linksare slotted in thejoints which connect them with the lever 12, as thedrawings indicate.

The lever 12, at its upper end, carries two springs, 12 and p, a sideview of which is shown in Fig. 2, which serve, respectively, to propelthe ratchet-wheels q and r. \Vhen the steps are free, and the lever 72in the position indicated in the drawings, the springs 12 and 1) standclear of the teeth of the ratchet- 7 wheels; but the movementof thelever to either side brings one of these driving-springs into positionto engage with the teeth of the correspending ratchet-wheel, and thenthe further movement of'the pendulous lever a in the same direction tothe end of the swing permitted to it propels the ratchet-wheel thedistance of one tooth.

On a person entering the vehicle, when the foot is placed on the lowermovable step, c, the 8 step descends until the inclined block 1' reachesthe bottom of the notch formed to reeeiveit in the block g. The boltbeing thus caused to slide in its guides, the link m moves the pendulouslever a in such manner thatits upper end 0 goes to the right asufficient distance to cause the driving-spring p to approach the teethof the ratchet-wheel q, butwithoutimparting motion to the wheel. Thismovement of the lever it, however, causes the bolt, on which is 5 theincline block k, to be drawn by the link 0 into such a position thatwhen the foot is placed on the upper movable step, d, the block 7;passes down the incline on the outer end of the block it fixed upon thestepb, thereby causing the bolt to traverse in its guides a distancesufiicient to producea further movement of the pendulous lever n in thesame direction as the first, suflicient to move the ratchetwheel (1 thespace of a tooth, and so the entry of the person into the vehicle isregistered. The slot in the link at permits of the further movement,referred to above, of the lever n, notwithstanding that the lowermovable step, 0, remains depressed. Similarly a person leaving thevehicle, treading first upon the upper movable step, d, theincline-block It on the sliding bolt enters the notch in the block h onthe step 1), thereby causing a partial movement of the lever asufficient to place the incline block i on the sliding bolt of the lowerstep, 0, in such a position that on this step being, in turn, depressed,the block 2' slides down the incline on the inner end of the block g,and so completes the movement of thelever n, causing it, by means of thespring 12, to propel the ratchet-wheel 1' forward the space of a tooth.The wheels q and 1* also serve as dials. They are figured on the face,and pointers are provided at s ands. The figures on the wheel q, as theycome to the pointer, indicate the number of entrances into the vehiclesince the wheel was last set to zero. Similarly the figures on the wheel1", as they come to the pointer, indicate the number of exits since thiswheel was set to zero. If desired, counting-wheels may be provided inconnection with each of the wheels q and 1', as indicated in. Fig. 2, tokeep a continuous register of the entrances and exits, notwithstandingthe movement of the wheels q and r to zero as often as may beconvenient.

The recording part of the apparatus is contained in a locked box, andwhen the machine is in use its indications are noted at the end of eachstage of the journey. The movable steps are each provided on three sideswith a flange or lip projecting downward and inclosing the mechanismbetween the movable and the fixed step.

The pendulous lever a, in place of operating ratchet-wheels, may becaused to give motion to markers, and bring them into contact with apaperdrum or drums, revolving continuously by connection with the wheelsof the vehicle, or otherwise revolved by the lever n. In either case Iobtain, by means of my mechanism, a record of the number of entries andexits at each stage of the journey.

Fig. 3, Sheet II, shows a modification of my invention, the lever 12being pivoted, as shown, in lieu of being pendulous, and made to actuatepointers B, which prick or mark a paper hand rolled on A as it passes,and is drawn on to a roller, 0, which latter is furnished with aspring-motor, and is allowed to rotate and' move the paper band by themovement and consequent disengagement of the detent fixed to the pivotedlever n, as shown.

- S is a rod connected with thelever n for use by the conductor, andwhereby he can mark the completion of the stage or journey. The otherparts have been already described.

The fares should be so arranged that a sum is charged for each stage orsection, into which the entire journey is divided; nevertheless, ifdesired, a further sum may be charged for the first stage traveled byany passenger. Then, from the indications of the machine, thecalculation. at the end of the journey of the amount which should havebeen received in fares is easy. The total of the entries during anentire journey being known, this number multiplied by the highestpossible fare would be the sum of the fares if every passenger had madethe entire journey; but from this there has to be deducted the amount,so to speak, lost by passengers entering, notat the first stage, but atsome subsequent stage of the journey, and, also, there has to bededucted the amount, so to speak, lost by passengers having left thevehicle before the final stage of the journey. Both of these sums arereadily deducted from the record. The residue is the sum for which theconductor of the vehicle shall account.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the steps by which passengers enterand leave a vehicle, of movable treads c and cl, inclined planes z and7.", a pendulous or pivoted actuating-lever, n, and links on and 0,substantially as described.

2. In fare'registering apparatus of vehicles, the combination of apendulous or pivoted lever, it, automatically actuated by the personentering or leaving the vehicle, with springs 12 and p and ratchetwheelsq and r, substantially as described.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with themovable platform of a car or vehicle-step having inclines on the underside thereof, of a pendulous or vibrating lever and connections foroperating a registerin g or recording mechanism, and separatelyindicating the entrance or exit of passengers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

EIHVARI) ADEN BERESFORD.

\Vitnesses H. I. HADDAN, O. IVETTER.

